He inherited gravity and reverence from his fathers

He inherited gravity and reverence from his fathers. The mien of prophets and brightness of guardians appeared on him, and no one of his enemies or followers met him unless he revered and respected him highly. Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Ashtar al-Alawi said, ‘One day, I was with my father at the door of al-Mutawkkil (the Abbasid caliph) among a crowd of people. While we were waiting there, Abul Hasan (al-Hadi) came and all the people dismounted revering and honoring him until he entered the palace. Someone denied this reverence towards Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) and said, ‘Why do we dismount to this boy? By Allah, he is neither the noblest nor the Ma’athir al-Kubara’ fee Tareekh Samarra’, vol.3 p.95-96.

eldest of us. By Allah, we do not dismount to him when he comes out.’ Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari replied to him, ‘By Allah, you shall dismount to him with meanness and lowness.’ When Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) came out, people began crying out with takbir and tahlil and all of them stood up glorifying him. Abu Hashim turned to people and said, ‘Did you not claim that you would not dismount to him?’ They said, ‘By Allah, we could not control ourselves until we dismounted.’ Hearts revered and honored him, and this reverence did not come out of authority or rule, but it resulted from his devotedness to Allah, asceticism in the worldly life, and utmost piety. He came out of the meanness of disobedience of Allah to the honor of obedience. From the great reverence of people towards him, was that whenever he came to al-Mutawakkil in his palace, everyone in the palace hastened to serve him. They competed to raise the curtains, open the doors, etc., and they did not ask him to do anything by himself.